Auxiliary signal processing circuit

Abstract

A television receiver includes a provision for processing auxiliary signals in addition to the conventional information signals. The auxiliary signals comprise various combinations of N signals out of a total of M possible signals, where N and M are positive integers greater than 1, and N is less than M. The auxiliary signals preferably are audio signals outside the normal audible range, and the decoding of unique combinations of these signals at a receiver is used to provide channel number identification when the signals are transmitted from transmitting stations. In addition, the auxiliary signals transmitted from a transmitting station are used to control signal-seek tuning, direct channel access, or channel display. Also, unique combinations of N out of M possible signals are used in a remote control system to provide output signals indicative of different functions to be performed by the television receiver.

I claim: 
     
       1. A wave signal receiver for receiving and processing conventional information signals and auxiliary signals, said auxiliary signals always comprising various combinations of exactly N signals out of a total of M possible signals, where N and M each are positive integers greater than 1 and N is less than M, said receiver including in combination: first means for identifying each of said M auxiliary signals and producing output signals in response to such identification;   second means for simultaneously supplying at least the N signals of an auxiliary signal combination to said first means;   third means coupled with said first means and responsive to different combinations of N auxiliary signal components identified by said first means for producing a predetermined output signal for at least one predetermined combination of N signals; and   utilization circuit means coupled with said third means for attaining a predetermined output condition in response to the output signals of said third means.   
     
     
       2. The combination according to claim 1 further including inhibit circuit means coupled with the output of said first means and operative in response to the identification of more than N auxiliary signals at any given time for inhibiting the attainment of said predetermined operating condition by said utilization circuit means. 
     
     
       3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said third means produces a different unique output signal for each different combination of N auxiliary signal components identified by said first means. 
     
     
       4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said auxiliary signal components comprise signal components for identifying wave signal transmitting stations and wherein each combination of N signals uniquely identifies a particular transmitting station; and said utilization circuit means comprises means for displaying station identifying indicia and the predetermined output condition thereof includes the display of station indicia uniquely identified by the unique output signal from said third means. 
     
     
       5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said wave signal receiver comprises circuit means for receiving and detecting audio signals, said auxiliary signal components comprise auxiliary audio components in which each of said M possible signals is an audio signal of a different frequency, and said first means includes filter means having different frequency responses for producing output signals in response to the presence of the one of the M auxiliary signals to which said filter means is tuned. 
     
     
       6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said auxiliary signal components comprise station identification signal components of the transmitting stations supplying wave signals to said wave signal receiver, each station being uniquely identified by a different combination of exactly N audio signals transmitted as auxiliary signal components from that station, said first means comprises M parallel-connected bandpass filter circuits, each of which is tuned to a different one of said M possible auxiliary signals, and said third means comprises a plurality of gating circuit means, each coupled with a different combination of N first means for producing a unique output signal for each such different combination, when the auxiliary signals for each such combination are simultaneously identified by said N first means. 
     
     
       7. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said wave signal receiver further includes tuner means and further including control means for controlling the tuning of said tuner means in response to control signals applied thereto; said control means being coupled with the output of said third means and with said tuner means for applying control signals thereto to cause the tuning of said tuner means to be swept over a predetermined range of frequencies, said control means responsive to said predetermined output signal from said third means for terminating the sweep of tuning of said tuning means. 
     
     
       8. The combination according to claim 7 further including transmitting station selection means producing a predetermined output indicative of a transmitting station to which said wave signal receiver is to be tuned, and wherein said third means comprises station verification logic means coupled with said first means and with the output of said station selection means for comparing the different combinations of N auxiliary signal components with corresponding signal combinations from said station selection means; said logic means producing said predetermined output signal to said sweep circuit control means to terminate the sweep signal output therefrom in response to a predetermined relationship between the output of said station selection means and the output signals from said first means. 
     
     
       9. A wave signal receiver including means for receiving auxiliary signals always comprising various combinations of exactly N signals out of a total of M possible signals, where N and M each are positive integers greater than one and N is less than M, said receiver including in combination: M first means for identifying each of said M auxiliary signals and producing output signals in response to such identification unique to each of said M auxiliary signals;   second means for simultaneously supplying the N signals of each auxiliary combination to said M first means;   third means coupled with said M first means and responsive to different combinations of N auxiliary signals identified by said first means for producing a unique output signal for each different combination of N signals.   
     
     
       10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said auxiliary signals comprise signals of M different frequencies, and said first means includes filter means having M different frequency responses for producing output signals in response to the presence of the one of the M auxiliary signals to which said filter means is tuned. 
     
     
       11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein said first means comprises M parallel-connected bandpass filter circuits, each of which is tuned to a different one of said M possible auxiliary signals, and said third means comprises a plurality of gating circuits means, each coupled with a different combination of N first means for producing a unique output signal for each such different combination when the auxiliary signals for each such combination are simultaneously identified by said N first means. 
     
     
       12. The combination according to claim 10 wherein each of said M possible signals is an audio signal of a different frequency. 
     
     
       13. The combination according to claim 9 further including means coupled with the outputs of said first means for inhibiting the production of said output signal from said third means whenever more than N signals out of said M possible signals are simultaneously identified by said first means. 
     
     
       14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein said inhibiting means includes further coincidence gating means coupled with the outputs of said first means and the inputs of said plurality of gating circuit means for inhibiting the production of said output signal by said third means whenever more than N signals out of the total of M possible signals are simultaneously identified by said first means. 
     
     
       15. A remote control system for a television receiver for identifying and processing remote control signals for performing different functions at the receivers, wherein said remote control signals are supplied to said receiver in the form of auxiliary signals always comprising various combinations of exactly N signals out of a total of M possible signals, where N and M each are positive integers greater than 1 and N is less than M, said system including in combination: first means for identifying each of said M auxiliary signals and producing output signals in response to such identification;   second means for simultaneously supplying said N signals of an auxiliary signal combination to said first means; and   coincidence gating means coupled with said first means and responsive to different combinations of N auxiliary signal components identified by said first means for producing predetermined output signals for each different predetermined combination of N signals said system is capable of detecting, the outputs of said gating means being adapted for utilization as function control signals for the television receiver.   
     
     
       16. The combination according to claim 15 further including means coupled with the outputs of said first means and with said coincidence gating means for inhibiting the production of output signals from said coincidence gating means whenever more than N out of said M possible signals are simultaneously identified by said first means.